The past 15 months have challenged Red Bull New York winger Cameron Harper with mental and physical hurdles, setbacks and anxiety.
It’s only now that the 24-year-old is beginning to feel close to his best self again.
“I had to mentally cross a lot of barriers and push through a lot of tough times and struggles,” Harper told South Ward Central in a sit-down interview at RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township, New Jersey.
“I think only now, the last couple months, is when I’ve started to physically feel back to my best, or kind of getting back there.”
Back on June 14, 2025, Harper collided with then-Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff in the 12th minute. He immediately began holding his right knee and hobbling on one leg before laying on the pitch as he was attended to by medical staff at Austin’s Q2 Stadium.
Scans would later reveal that he had suffered a severe, season-ending right MCL injury. Initially, Harper didn’t understand how difficult the road back would be.
Inside Harper’s 15-Month Journey Back to the Red Bull New York Starting XI
After 65 weeks of dedication and rehabilitation, Harper started his first match for Red Bull New York since suffering the injury in last Saturday’s 1-0 road victory against the Columbus Crew.
“That’s a pretty long period and yeah, it was a pretty serious injury and I probably didn’t realize how serious it was until obviously now,” Harper reflected.
“In hindsight, I can look back on it and say it was pretty crazy because I thought I would be back a lot quicker than when I was, but it didn’t go that way. I definitely had to overcome a lot of obstacles mentally and physically, especially over the first 12 months or so.”
Harper provided the assist on Ronald Donkor’s 89th-minute goal against the Crew that earned Red Bull New York its first win since August 1.
“In Columbus, everyone just left it all on the field for each other,” he stated. “You saw the last four or five minutes in the box just people putting their health on the line to get the ball out and to make sure that we win because at the end of the day, it’s now or never. We need to start picking up points. All the guys that were out there were leaving it all on the field.”
Harper: ‘I Was a Little Bit Anxious and Scared That Maybe My Knee Wasn’t Ready’
The 5-foot-9 winger was in a completely different headspace compared to when he returned to the pitch in his first competitive action since the June 14, 2025 knee injury on March 22, 2026 for Red Bull New York II against Philadelphia Union II.
At that point of the process, there was still some lingering doubt inside his mind about whether his knee would hold up.
“In the back of my mind, I was a little bit anxious and scared that maybe my knee wasn’t ready,” he remembered. “It was a bizarre feeling honestly, just like showing up to Montclair State, getting back into the rhythm of showing up to the game a couple hours early and then having a warm-up, but not starting, so warming up and then going on the bench and sitting down and then having to make sure in the second half when I started to warm up well because maybe my knee wasn’t ready.
“It’s obviously trial and error when you get back, you have to push through some scary obstacles when you’re first coming back where you might not feel 100 percent comfortable on your new knee or new whatever, it was obviously great to be back after all the time I’d spent out but it definitely has taken a very long extensive period.”
Harper Recalls Joy of Scoring His First Goal Since His Return in Front of Father
All of the hard days felt worth it after Harper scored his first goal in 447 days. He came off the bench in the 85th minute and scored one minute later to earn a dramatic 1-1 draw against Chicago Fire FC on August 22 at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
The moment was particularly meaningful as his Scottish father Derek was among the crowd in Harrison. It was the first time Derek had watched his son play in person since the Red Bulls took on the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2024 MLS Cup final.
“It was just a combination of relief, happiness, excitement that I was playing again in front of my dad for the first time in a while over probably a year, year and a half,” Harper recalled.
“It felt good for me personally to be able to get on the scoresheet again. There’s no better feeling when you’re on the field scoring or assisting or just contributing to big moments. It was just cool after the game to be able to talk to my dad about it and just share a moment together. In the end, that’s what’s most important.”
Harper: ‘You Don’t Want To Leave Fans With a Bitter Feeling After a Loss’
“Actually, I think the last time might have been that last cup final so it had been a long time. It was a pretty amazing atmosphere at the stadium especially with Chicago, [Robert] Lewandowski. There was a lot of fans there and I think the atmosphere was building towards a good game and of course you don’t want to leave fans with a bitter feeling after a loss.”
After all he’s gone through in rehabilitation to get to this point, Harper believes that his mindset is stronger and that he’s better equipped to handle the adversity and obstacles that can arrive at any moment in a footballer’s career.
“In the end, I feel like you can actually take a lot of positives from these experiences because hopefully it’ll be my last big injury,” he explained. “You obviously knock on wood, but I think I learned a lot personally about myself, what I can handle and how I can overcome adversity.”
Harper on Hudson River Derby: ‘You Need To Be Playing for More Than Just Yourself and the Team’
Having put together strong recent performances, Harper could retain his place in the starting XI in Friday’s Hudson River Derby showdown with rivals New York City FC at Yankee Stadium.
“Whenever you play in a derby match you need to know that it’s not just you on the field,” Harper said. “You need to understand that the fans have bragging rights whether your team wins or not, too and you need to be playing for more than just yourself and the team. It needs to be for everyone who’s associated with the club, especially against New York City.”
Harper and the Red Bulls are looking to spoil NYCFC’s potential final derby at Yankee Stadium by claiming three points in the Bronx. A victory would push the 30-point Red Bulls ahead of 32-point NYCFC, who currently occupy eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
“I think when it comes to their final [derby] game in Yankee Stadium they’re gonna want to obviously prove a point and go out with a bang,” he said.
“It’s our job to go there and upset the party. We can leapfrog them if we win and at the end of the day, the last eight, nine, 10 games of the season points are very valuable especially when you’re up against a competing team in the East that’s also looking for a playoff spot, so it goes without saying it’s a big game and we have to be ready to show up.”
Friday will be the 35th edition of the Hudson River Derby. Kickoff in the Bronx is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
If you enjoyed this story, please consider supporting independent, local soccer journalism by buying me a coffee.
More Red Bull New York Coverage
Enjoyed this story? Follow us for the latest updates! | Bluesky | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Leave a Reply